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A few questions

403 views 6 replies 1 participant last post by  **DONOTDELETE** 
G
#1 ·
A few questions....
First What are the pros/cons of a spool?

Second I want to lift the rear of my bronco with lift blocks. The adds I see in Summitt say 3" lift blocks, now my question is are the blocks 3", or 3" bigger than stock. If the blocks are 3", and the stock ones are say 1.5 then in reality I'm only gaining 1.5" right.

Third I just rebuilt a 351w out of an 84F150, And it isn't running the way it should. I have it timed right, it is not a tooth off, checked that. all vac. lines are good. Still Running rich though, Don't think the holley 4v is tuned right. How much of a difference can I expect this to make? specs. performer manifold, 2.5" duals, mild cam, holley 4v carb, no work done to original heads or crank everything else is new. My uncle and I did the work and he rebuilds engines as a living so it was done right. Won't Fire up right away when cold. Could this be carb??? any help would be great seeing how I can't get in contact with my uncle for a few more weeks. vacation. thanks alot


 
G
#2 ·
1) Pros of a spool: 100% locked rear axle
Cons of a spool: Do differential action in rear axle. Excess wear on tires, and added stress to rear axles.
2) Can't help you there.
3) Check your carb, the choke could be staying open after you last shut it off for the day. that would explain the early morning start problem. If the choke is okay, you may have to adjust your mixture screws to lean out the air/fuel charge. It's been so long since I did a carb, that these other guys know the right tweaking to do when you run in the screw and then back it out. I seem to remember backing it out 3 to 5 turns.
Another thing to consider is that your cam profile may make a rich exhaust due to the overlap of the intake and exhaust lobes.

 
G
#3 ·
don't really have a lot to add other than I read about spools in an article somewhere. They're mostly used in off-road racing and recently in rock-crawling. They definitely fully lock the axle which usually means if something gets bound up, unless you climb out of it, somethings gonna break. It also said (obviously) not recommended in the front...

-pep

If it aint broke, just give me time...
 
G
#5 ·
I just found the article I have been looking for regarding spools in the jan. 2000 issue of Peterson's 4-Wheel. It says that on the highway the spool actualy handled better than the locker, but around town when making tight turns the tires will squeal since there is no differentiation. I guess that makes sense. I was just wondering if anyone else had heard of anyone using a spool? It's difficult for a broke college kid like myself to afford lockers ya know.

 
#6 ·
They were made for the 900 hp drag cars, so that they would go straight down the track instead of at the walls and other stuff. I haven't heard of many people using spools in off-road machines, because turning would be a bitch. Probably depends on the wheeling you do. Wide open, mud bogging, and trail wheeling are completely different things. I pretty sure you would break more things by installing a spool, if wheeled in tight trails. All the tight turning would but a lot of stress in the front and rear. They would probably be nice for hill climbs and mud bogging though. Spools are mainly a drag racing application, but some weirdos use them off-road.


 
G
#7 ·
Another term for a spool is a "lincoln locker" named after the lincoln welder used to weld the gears together creating in essence a spool.

I've seen this done to Jeeps and Toy Land Cruisers as an interim step. Folks that ave done this wan't/need a locker but can't afford/don't want to spend money on a locker and usually are thinking of a stronger axle in the near future. Welding a diff or putting in a spool puts alot of stress on the shafts as well as the diff.

IMO, A spool or a welded diff takes a street rig and turns it into a trailer queen. Try to make a tight turn and the inside tire will scrub and hop its way around since the outside tire is tracing a much larger arc and forces the inside wheel to spin much faster than it needs to for the arc it is tracing.

If you are doing mud drags, a spool is fine as you never ever get enough traction to cause the tire to scrub, it just slips away in the mud.

But for street driving, not a good deal.

I've never put an aftermarket locker in, but I plan to put ARBs front/rear in my next rig if its a daily driver.

If I get a weekend warrior, I'll put a detroit in the rear and think about what to do with the front. Most trails I run are only an hour or two away so the rig doesn' need to be that driveable.

- Dan

PS: if RonBo is listening: I waited 13 weeks for my special ordered 99 4runner with the electric factory locker and it is AWE SOME. Well worth the 340 bucks it added to the cost. PLEASE make sure the next Ford off-road rig has a part time locker option. Elec seems the way to go. Much more reliable than an ARB and more driveable on the street than other choices. - Dan

99 4Runner (wifes grocery getter)
My Bronco is sold.
What trail rig will be next...
 
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